Woman Accused Of Running Over Man, 70, With His Car In Griffith Park

LOS ANGELES, CA — A woman accused of running over and killing a 70-year-old man with his own car following a confrontation in a Griffith Park parking lot Saturday has been arrested, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The fatal crash involving a light blue, 2006 Lexus occurred at about 3 p.m. Saturday in a parking lot, in the area of Griffith Park’s Western Canyon Road, according to the LAPD.

``A dispute occurred prior to the accident happening," LAPD Det. Daniel Ramirez told ABC7.

"The vehicle struck 70-year-old Valeriy Saakyan, who lost his footing, fell to the ground and was intentionally run over by his own vehicle, driven by a female suspect," according to an LAPD statement. "The suspect fled the scene in Saakyan’s vehicle and did not render aid to Saakyan."

Paramedics rushed Saakyan to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The next morning officers in Hollywood noticed a damaged vehicle with a tarp over it matching the description of the car used in the fatal hit and run. They found the vehicle at about 10 a.m. Sunday in the area of Lexington Avenue and Vine Street

The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Sonia Sovereign, was detained after she was seen getting out of the vehicle, police said.

Sovereign allegedly confessed to the crime during an interview with Ramirez, police said. She was booked for suspicion of murder at the Metropolitan Detention Center and held on $1 million bail.

City News Service contributed to this report.